Missing Piece
by xxAir
Summary: Charlotte "Bloody Boa" Marcellina is a bounty hunter with a perfect track record. How she manages to keep a 100% catch rate is unknown. Though it may be due to her strange powers. Charlotte finds Trafalger D. Water Law next on her list. Everything goes without a hitch that is until the Surgeon of Death gets a hold of her heart, quite literally too.
1. Chapter 1

chapter 1.

"That'll be 72,000,000 beri," Charlotte reminded. Although the words may have seemed innocent enough, it most certainly did not carry that way to the two large males that stood before her. To them, it felt was if it was an order. An order that if refused they'll suffer greatly for. Their beady eyes quickly travelled down towards the crumbled and hogtied man pinned to the ground by Charlotte's feet then back towards the innocent face of the girl as she added, "please."

Kicking the door open, Charlotte entered the hotel room she had rented for the month. She threw the stacks of bill on her desk before plopping on the bed and rolling onto her belly to grab a stack of wanted posters off the bedside table. She drew a large 'X' over the face of the man she had just handed over to a Collector. Collectors were the ones who would trade the hunted to the government as majority of the bounty hunters had a hit on their own head as well.

The now-useless piece of paper fluttered from Charlotte's lean fingers and joined the wanted posters littering the ground. Each one had the same red cross on the face of the individual in the photo. Yes, Charlotte had been rather busy.

Charlotte was a bounty hunter and boy, was she a good one. She had joined the bounty hunter trade work five years ago and to this day had never failed to bring in her target. Charlotte made good work and she made it fast too. No one knew how she manages to maintain her 100% track record, but then again no one knew much about her. From the day she randomly appeared, bursting through the doors with the head of the $500,000 beri man, five years ago to the present, the only thing known about her was her name and the name she had made herself - Bloody Boa.

Bloody Boa was a rather renowned name as Charlotte found herself rejecting Baroque Works invitation letter _twice_, and often running from the marines she used to be able to hand her catches to, causing her to now have to rely on Collectors to make the exchange for her. This costs her a third of her bounty, but there was nothing she could do, except not hand her catch over dead. The government takes thirty percent away if the hunted is brought back dead as compensation for the lost of public executions. A loss of more than sixty percent of the bounty was not a choice for Charlotte, not especially if she wanted to _that_ back.

Towel drying her wavy violet hair, Charlotte made her way towards the closet, ignoring the crunch of the probably dead pirates' posters. She let the towel hang on her naked torso while she selected what she'd wear to her next catch.

Her next man was a doctor. One that had made himself quite known these last few weeks. He was a doctor from the North Blue, a sea that Charlotte had only read about. Charlotte - although she had travelled, quite vastly - was from the Grand Line. However, that information was irrelevant to what she needs to do. All of it was really. All Charlotte needed to know about the man she'll be hunting is his name, image, profession, bounty and abilities. The last one mainly for her sake. It wouldn't be wise for her to underestimate her prey, now would it? Especially one of eleven supernovas.

Checking her appearance in the mirror, Charlotte nodded in approval.. She was adorned in a brown leather bustier that laced up right under her breasts, and a pair of dark skinny jeans and brown boots and elbow length gloves. The only thing missing from her attire was the blood-red muffler which Charlotte grabbed on her way out. A smirk fitted on her face.

According to her informant, her new target would be gracing himself on the island soon. The exact date of which this would occur on was not exactly given, but it would should be sometime this week, and seeing as how today was the last day of the week. It had to be soon for the sake of her informant.

The docks of Shady Island was rather empty today, being decorated by only two other ships, one of which had belonged to the pirates she had just handed over. The other was a really small, itsy bitsy little ship. Judging from the fact that it held no Jolly Roger, and its size, it had to be a fisherman boat. Aside from the two block of wood, there was nothing else on the open sea. Not even a new shell.

Grinding her teeth together, Charlotte straightened herself and breathed, "Guess I'll be looking for a new informant." Just as Charlotte was ready to leave, she heard a strange bubbling sound coming from the sea, following by the flooding sound of falling water.

Out from the blue waters came a large mast with a large black flag; a flag that seemed way too big for the deck that appeared beneath it. Water spilled from the sides of the deck and Charlotte had wondered if it was a sinking ship seeing as how the yellow ship appeared to be submerged in water rather than floating above it. That idea was quickly dismissed as pirates adorned in the same grey boiler suits flitted out from the ship in complete serenity. They even took a few moments to breathe fresh air before getting on land. If they had really been sinking, they wouldn't have been so calm about it. But this gave birth to the question of why the boat was partially submerged in water.

Charlotte's platinum blue-purple eyes narrowed and the edge of her lips trudged into a smirk as she watched a familiar tall, lanky male adorned in an oversized white hat and decorated with tribal tattoos file out with a... polar bear?

A polar bear? Was Charlotte's mind playing tricks with her or was there really a polar bear standing next to her prey? And was it really standing on two legs, hugging a large nodachi and wearing an orange boiler suit? It head to be a really hairy man. Yes, a really, really old male sprouting hair from every orifice known to man. There was just no way a polar bear could live outside its natural climate. It _had _to be a hairy, hairy man.

Dismissing the thought, now that Charlotte had came to a logical conclusion, she brought her attention on the man she completely memorized, only to see that he was no longer on the ship. In fact, the ship was now devoid of the pirates that once stood upon it. _Where had they gone? _Charlotte questioned, landing on the ship's deck without a sound. There really wasn't anyone here. _Oh, well, they'll be back._ She thought as she entered the ship.

Charlotte soon came to the realization that it was not a ship she was on. It was a submarine. This answered about all the questions the hunter had about the ship's seemingly magical ability to _not _sink into the sea despite being submerged. This also told Charlotte just how many souls lived on this sea vessel. It was much too large to fit just the four individuals that had exited the ship earlier, meaning that there was still bodies on board. A lot considering the size of the ship.

Charlotte peeked over the corner before walking into the clear hall. Her eyes glistened at the lone metal door that stood across from her. It had to be the Captain's quarters. Slowly opening the door, the lady peeked in and almost reeled at the strong smell of disinfectant pouring from the room like a faucet. She was disappointed when she realized that the room she had wandered into was the infirmary rather than the Captain's. But, nevertheless, she ventured in.

Needless to say, Charlotte was rather shocked with the high grade quality of the medical equipment and medicine that fitted the room. It was really an infirmary to say the least, capable of fighting just about anything and everything. If not, there was the supplies to make one. Exiting the room, Charlotte noted that the title 'Surgeon of Death' and 'Dark Doctor' wasn't really just a name. Her little prey was more than capable of just dissections.

A few more rooms later, Charlotte came across the Captain's room. It too smelled of disinfectant, but it wasn't nauseating like the infirmary. Instead of being filled with medication, the room was filled with books. Books lined the shelves, the table and the bed. The books ranged from anatomy to botany, but all seem to fit under the pretense of medicine.

_Someone really loves to read._ Charlotte though as she continued to search the room for the pirate's treasures. Sure, she wasn't a pirate nor was she a thief, but she was a hunter, a hunter who hunts for the bounties. Making an additional extra cash seemed like a good idea while she waited for her toy to return to the submarine.

Throwing the sack of gold on her shoulders, Charlotte glanced at the ransacked room one last time, making sure she didn't forget anything before turning to the door. There was no need to clean a room that will no longer have a host.

"Now, where should I go?" Charlotte quested, glancing around. She had practically been to every part of the submarine except for the lower levels that seem to hold the remaining part of the Heart Pirates crew and her prey still hadn't returned. Her eyes landed on the galley before her and a smile came across her face. Some coffee and lunch would be nice right about now.

Charlotte ate her meal and sipped her coffee in silence. Her uniquely colored eyes darted left to right as she scanned the pages from the book of poison she had 'borrowed' from the doctor's room. It was rather intriguing, the different types of poison that could be created and the different results that could occur depending on the type of poison administered. Having turned to a particularly interesting page, Charlotte's pink lips drew into another sinister scowled. She quickly finished her meal and placed the book down. "Time to make preparations." She announced to no one in particular while strolling to the infirmary then the lower floors she knew was flooded with Heart Pirates.

_Is he not coming back? It's almost been a whole day._ Charlotte thought to herself as she made it halfway through her third book. This one held information about the human anatomy. Did you know there was 270 bones to the human body, but only 206 bones in adults? Bones apparently merge together as humans grow. In addition to this, Charlotte had learned that the human body is more than a third composed of muscular tissues which only confused her as some of the people she took down seem to be completely composed of muscle.

The sounds of mindless chatter brought Charlotte's nose from the bind of the book before her. The silly pirates hadn't noticed her yet, despite her sitting so openly on the upper deck. Instead the two adorned in grey boiler suits, one with a teal capette and the other with a hat with the words 'PENGUIN' written on it, shouted at each other, arguing back and forth about who scared the women away more. The Penguin's stalking or the Capette's ogling.

It wasn't until their captain stood on the wooden deck of his submarine that the white hairy bear - or man as Charlotte adamantly believes - took a sniff of the air and announced that something was off that Charlotte decided to reveal herself.

Snapping the anatomy book close, and slamming it on top of the psychology book, Charlotte drew the attention of the four pirates. Her lips curled as she enjoyed the reaction of the pirates below her as she stood on the railing she was sitting on before.

"It's a beauty! A beauty had scrambled on our ship!" Penguin shouted gleefully. His face already red.

"How are you doing tonight?" The Capette asked, trying to make his voice smooth.

"What, may I ask, are you doing on my ship, Miss?" Trafalger D. Water Law , Charlotte's prey, questioned ignoring the cries of his lusty pirates. There was a hard edge in the tone. It seemed like he didn't find her appearance on his ship as appealing as his crew did.

"Why, just waiting for you." Charlotte responded, smiling innocently at the male. "Trafalger D. Water Law, 'Surgeon of Death', with a bounty of 200.000,000 beri. That is you, isn't it, Mr. Law?" She listed, the same innocent smile plastered to her face. No verbal answer was given to her, not that she needed one anyway. She had memorized every detail of her target before hand. The male standing before her was indeed her target. The way his crew had tensed with each name she had listed was proof enough.

The four of them had tensed, settling into their fighting positions as they glared up at her. It was exhilarating watching the three dressed in boiler suits tense, all of them were ready to give their lives for the tall man that stood in the center with his arms crossed and a pertrigued expression on his face.

"I'm here to collect your bounty." She announced, before tilting her head slightly to rest on her palm. "Now would you be as so kind as to give yourself over. I would much rather catch you alive than dead."

Law's glared narrowed at the command, but he remained still. It was interesting, funny almost, how much the air around her contrasted with the innocent and harmless look she held on her face. She was practically oozing of murderous intent. "I will not-"

"-then I guess I'll be taking you by force." Charlotte interrupted, much tired of that line. It seemed as if that one line was universally shared and recited by all of her preys. So much so, she'll be surprised if one of her mouse were to _not_ say it.

"And exactly how do you plan on doing that?" Law continued, the bite in his voice back. FIrst this lady had ordered him to go with him and as much as he wouldn't mind if it was any other situation as she was rather attractive, the fact still stand that she had ordered him; and second, she had interrupted him. She was getting on his nerves. "Miss, you do know you are currently standing on my ship filled with my crew. Needless to say, you are outnumbered and at a disadvantage." He said, and turned around, just missing the smirk that crawled on her face, breaking her innocent play. Law raised his arm and ordered, "Get her out of my sight."

"I think it is you who is outnumbered." Charlotte chuckled as the doors slammed open revealing the wonderful result of the preparations she had made.

The pirates of the Heart Pirate Crew came scrambling out, brandishing swords and other weaponry as they charged towards the three pirates that charged towards Charlotte.

"What are you doing, Dan?" Capette shouted as he dodge the one named Dan's attack. "Why are you attacking me? Is it for that time I accidentally dropped a bucket of oil on Rugdy's boiler suit and said it was you who did it?" His confession quickly turned into another shout of confusion as another pirate lunged for him.

"You're attacking the wrong person!" Penguin shouted as he ran away from the pirates chasing him. "We need to attack her!" He shouted, pointing a finger towards the lady once again sitting on the railing. "Otherwise Captain will get mad." A cry emitted from the man as he tripped his pursues jumped on him.

"Penguin!" The hairy bear-looking man shouted, kicking the pile off his fallen comrade. "They don't smell right!" He announced.

_He can tell by smelling them? He must have a strong nose. _Charlotte concluded, ignoring the animalistic feature.

"They don't look right either!" Penguin shouted as he struggled to pushed the drooling and very veiny looking crewmate an arm's length back. It wasn't working, especially as his crewmate tried his earnest best to get on top of him and bite his head off with his snapping jaws. "He's trying to bite me!" He screamed, kicking his assaulter in the stomach, sending him flying. "What did you do to them?!" Penguin accused, scrambling to his feet.

"Oh, nothing. Did you know there's a type of poison that can reduce the person into a mindless, fighting zombie?" Charlotte said lightly, a sense of entertainment in her voice. "Now, I wonder can you thoughtlessly murder your crew who now stands in your way?"

As soon as the thought left her mouth, a blue sphere erupted from the captain and the infected crew was immediately sliced into several thousand pieces, from which not a single drop of blood had dripped from. "Miss, I do not take it lightly when someone plays with my crew." Law's warned darkly.

"Oh, but it is you who played with your crew, not me. I didn't go and chop up your crew like vegetables just to have them decorate the air." Charlotte replied with a shrug, blatantly ignoring the bloodlust emitting from the doctor. Charlotte had to admit, she was shocked at how fast their captain seem to have chopped up his crew. There was no hesitation in his movement. "Quite heartless of you, I must say, Doctor." Charlotte stated, flicking one of the floating body pieces away only to be further intrigued when it became stuck to another piece it bumped into.

Throwing a rock into the air before him, Law flicked his wrist and mumbled, "Shambles." The women sitting so comfortably across the ship now appeared before him. Without a second to lose, he brought his nodachi towards the girl's head.

Charlotte's eyes widened as she suddenly came face to face with the Heart Pirate's Jolly Roger on Law's chest. Momentarily confused, she glanced back towards where she was sitting across the ship, when a gush of murderous intent came at her, knocking sense back into her.

Law's eyes narrowed as his sword came to a halt without knocking the violet head off. He hadn't seen her move until the attack was halted.

"Interesting, you can teleport things too, it seems." Charlotte muttered to herself, her face hidden under the metal scythe that erupted from under her gloves. The only thing visible was her white smirk that contrasted with the shadow on her face, making her look even more crazy.. "'Room', was it?" She quested and as if on command, a familiar bubbling sound came followed by the spread of a purple sphere.

"That look just like Captain's!" Charlotte heard someone shout behind her. Their fight was over when their captain decided to chop everyone into several pieces.

"That's impossible!" Another cried after smacking the first. It seemed like there was more he wanted to say but instead, he cried out about how his arm is now attached to the one he smacked.

"There's no way for two people to have the same devil fruit ability!" Another shouted, finishing the other's sentence.

"Then how do you explain that!" Another shouted, gesturing to the two individuals jumping around with their spheres moving along with them. A purple sphere floated around the woman while a larger blue sphere moved with their captain.

"Would you like to indulge me on how you seem to be able to use the same ability as me, Miss?" Law questioned, leaping forward once more so the spheres overlap.

This was a mystery that crowded almost everyone who knew her which wasn't much except for those she'd hunted. No one seem to really know the power that Charlotte had. Anyone who thought they did was proven wrong as soon as she came upon her next mouse. Charlotte's ability seemed to change with every prey so no one has any real clue as to what it was.

It was really simple really. Charlotte is a devil fruit user. She had eaten the Gisu Gisu no Mi which allowed her to copy the abilities of anyone she knew as long as she knew how the abilities work. And as per usual, Charlotte often used the abilities of her prey against them, testing them to see if they could defend against their own powers. As well as to strike confusion on those trying to figure her out. It was a rather fun game watching her prey squirm in confusion. A simple game that no one had found out yet.

Hearing the crackling sparks of the two overlapping spheres, Charlotte darted back quickly. "Perhaps I would be more inclined to answer you, if it wasn't for the fact that you had chopped off my arm." Charlotte hissed, her eyes darting to the aforementioned floating limb then back to ensure the distance between the two hadn't decreased.

"That doesn't matter," Law responded nonchalantly, causing Charlotte to dart her eyes towards the male in confusion. She had thought he would be more intrigue with her strange ability that appears to mirror his. Something her usual preys were almost fixated on. "If you will not tell me willingly, then I'll just have to force it out of you." He said, smirking sinisterly. His eyes glinting in presumed pleasure of torturing the lady before him until she spilled more than just blood.

Charlotte flipped back, widening the distance between to the two exponentially. Landing back on the upper deck, the bounty hunter brought her remaining hand towards her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart and irregular pants. It had been a long time since anyone had inflicted any kind of fear into her. So long ago that Charlotte had thought she was unable to feel fear. He - her target - was definitely not like Charlotte's usual catches.

Noticing the said sadist charging forward, Charlotte bit the back of her cheek, using pain to stop the familiar shiver of fear to race down her spine. There was no way the hunter was going to become the one hunted. Her pride in her abilities and skills wouldn't allow it.

Skillfully dodging to the side, Charlotte watched her target as she ran away racking her mind for a scenario in which she'll become successful. She had already misjudge the amount of energy it takes to make a 'room', which led to her much smaller orb and already fleeting strength.

"I was starting to think you weren't scared of anything when you didn't as much as flinch to your arm being chopped off, but I guess I was wrong." Law said as Charlotte slipped past him. The same smirk still on his face.

Biting her tongue, Charlotte felt her anger boil in her throat. The man was mocking her! He was toying with her! However, she didn't leap back towards the Surgeon much like the man had wanted her to do. Instead, she closed her mind, remembering her past wins, trying to see if any one of her past battles have anything that could help her in her current situations. She thought back to earlier in the battle with Law when she still had the upper hand, then to the battle she witness his crew did, then to her past catches. She racked her mind for a solution.

"Praying isn't going to help you." Law said, his voice radiating from beside the women.

Charlotte's eyes snapped open and she quickly brought her small scythe-like hidden side blade to her face, blocking Law's swipe once again, but not completely, This time, she was shot back, crashing into boxes and barrels. As soon as she could orient herself, she found herself almost face to face with the skilled doctor. "Shambles!" She shouted quickly swapping herself with one of the fallen barrels behind Law. "Don't die!" She shouted, flipping her side blade from defensive to offensive and bringing it down towards his spine.

"Shambles!"

The sound of wood splintering echoed through the empty barrel that her blade had sunk into. The doctor had traded his position with a barrel. "Tch," Charlotte clicked, and felt herself become wet as the barrel she used to block Law's kick broke, spilling the stored water all over her.

"It appears like you have control over my powers quiet well." Law spoke calmly between pants. His lips curled up in some kind of sadistic amusement. "However, you can't be going around shouting 'Don't die' if you want the beris on my head."

Pulling herself up, Charlotte let a chuckle escape her mouth. Her laughter soon grew into a loud booming laugh, making the captain's smirk turn into a scowl and the onlookers to wonder if she had short-circuit in the waters. Wiping the tears threatening to fall over, she announced, "You thought I am conflicted about killing you?" Her laugh grew again while the pirates stared at her in silence. "You have it wrong." Her voice was cutting when she spoke now, The laughter gone without a trace. She glared down at the man with a look of disgust. "It wasn't that I couldn't bring myself to kill you. Trust me, I wouldn't lose a night of sleep if you were to die at my hand, But I'll lose a great deal of beris I were to hand you over dead; you're worth more to me alive than dead."

"I see." Law noted, his face darkening under the rim of his hat.

"Now don't die for my sake." Charlotte reminded as she started her counter attack having found a nice ability. "Shambles," she muttered switching herself with the hat that rested on the male's head. Her blade glinted in the sunlight as she let gravity pull her down towards the black fuzz of hair.

The wooden board of the deck erupted, leaving a large dent in the metal flooring underneath as she pulled herself free from the hole she made. Her platinum eyes landing on the hatless pirate, standing outside of her radius, with an impressed look on his face. That impact was not one that could be made by a normal human. It was rather deadly.

"You're really trying to kill our captain!" Another Heart Pirate accused.

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the cry. She is a bounty hunter after all. Charlotte threw her scythe towards her prey before leaping on after it. She watched eagerly as Law easily dodge the blade and moved to attack her back when everything slowed for Charlotte. She saw every movement of Law as he brought his sword around to slice her in half. "Shambles!" She shouted at the last moment possible.

Charlotte appeared where her spinning scythe, floating in the air, upside down as she watched happily as her blade made contact with Law's face and Law's sword with the air below her weapon, where she once stood.

Her smile dropped as Law picked himself up and turned around to reveal the shallow cut on his face. The had been a lot shallower than Charlotte had originally wanted it to be, but nevertheless, red blood still seeped from the wound, obscuring her prey's vision.

Crushing his bloodied face with her knee, she leaped over the falling figure, rushing with fainted breaths towards her fallen weapon. Without it, there was no way she could finish the plan she had formulated in her mind. Her hand scraped the edge of her blade before she was pulled down.

Glancing down, she glared at the man holding her away from her blade with the oversized muffler still wrapped around her neck. As fast as she could, Charlotte started rolling, trying to undo her scarf, but she wasn't fast enough as she soon found herself pulling the red cloth away from her neck for air. How hilarious to be stopped by the one thing that gave her the title of 'Bloody Boa'.

Still, even as the scarf threatened to crush her airpipe, the assassin refused to give up on the weapon. Even when black spots decorated her vision, and her body became heavy and burned for a break, she just stretched herself further until she felt the cold touch of metal under her fingers.

"Let me explain to you your current symptoms." Law said falling into his doctor role as he stood above the half conscious women. "My abilities take a toll on the user as I am sure you are now aware of and considering how frequently you been using it, the muscles in your body are now convulsing, and your body is feeling extremely heavy from fatigue and the lack of air circulating through your body." He explained in a monotonous way. "Now," he started, tossing the red scarf behind him. Law leaned over, placing his elbows on his legs and allowing a dark glint to shine in his eye as he reminded, "You still haven't answered me."

Charlotte moved her gaping mouth slowly, obliging the male as she attempted to formulate words. But with no air in her lungs to push the words forward, they didn't reach far. Even Charlotte couldn't hear it and she knew she hadn't gone death due to the beating of blood still ringing in her ears. She was just too tired - too weak - to voice herself.

Seeing the compliance in the lady below and the lack of intent to kill, not thats he could anymore, Law leaned closer until he was sure he could hear Charlotte's words. He was honestly intrigue in how she happen to have the same abilities as him, especially as there could be no two same devil fruit to exist at the same time. There had to a trick to it, some kind of trick that he was dead set into finding out. So the doctor leaned in closer, probably much closer than he would have otherwise. So close that his legs screamed at him to stop leaning, So close that he was practically hovering over the fallen girl. So close that Charlotte's breath could dance off his ear and cheek.

"Gotcha," she breathed, her mouth curling into a smirk. A purple orb just big enough to engulf the two emitted from her while her arm shot forward pressing the blade she acquired to Law's chest before the man could even react.

A purple orb popped out of the mans chest landing in the palm of Charlotte's severed hand.

"Shambles," She muttered, trading spots with the red scarf Law had behind them earlier. She snatched her arm, reconnecting it with the bloodless stump. Charlotte admired the strange jelly-like substance the beating heart stood in before glancing down at the shocked doctor himself.

Rage filled the air at an alarming rate as Law came to terms what just happened. His heart had been stolen. Stolen in a skill and way only he should have been able to. Grabbing his nodachi, Law spun around only to have pain flood his body from every nerve ending in his body.

"Captain!" The three remaining capable fights shouted.

"None of you move or I'll crush his heart!" Charlotte shouted over their captain's screams, her voice suddenly booming. Dizziness hit her soon after. She barely had enough air in her body to function. Not to mention her body felt like it would shut down any moment now. There was no way she could win another fight without resting some.

Panting and barely conscious, Charlotte walked towards the crumpled man, releasing the crushing grip on his heart. Her eyes dark as she looked down at the breathless doctor. A hint of sarcastic enjoyment in her voice. Ignoring the murderous glare shot back at her that could shoot shivers down her spine, she continued as if he hadn't responded, announcing, "You will do as I say. Understood?"


	2. Chapter 2

chapter 2.

The first break of daylights sweep across, filling the empty streets, closed shops and desolate meadows with a warming glow. There was not a single life form in eye's view. All the townsfolk were still resting in the bed from the previous days activities. All except for two individuals.

Charlotte stood in the alleyway, hidden amongst the shadows. Her arms crossed under her chest while her feet tapped away against the cement. Next to her, with his wrists cuffed with seastone and his arms restrained to his torso with rope, was none other than the Heart Pirate's captain, Trafalgar Law. The rope was connected to Charlotte's hand hidden under her arm.

"Where are they?" Charlotte groaned irritably. She was waiting for the town's collectors. The same ones she had met the day before when she traded over her previous prey. They shouldn't have already left the island to find a marine vessel to deliver her previous target to. It was too early. But still that didn't explain their lack of presence as Charlotte and Law stood in the hidden alleyway - the rendezvous point.

"They're not here." Law stated calmly from his spot. For a captured individual about to be handed over to the authorities, he was very calm. Upsettingly so. Charlotte had hope to have more fun with her guinea pig, but it didn't seem so. As soon as Charlotte had gotten ahold of Law's heart, he complied with everything. It was almost boring. The last one had struggled to escape until the last moment where Charlotte broke his knees. "Who is the 'they' you're referring to anyway, Miss?" Instead, this guinea pig seemed more intrigued with her line of business than anything else.

"Charlotte." Charlotte said or rather blatantly stated. It wasn't an answer to his question, Law knew that, but then what was it? "My name is Charlotte. You can stop with the Miss." She paused, before adding. "It's annoying."

This cracked the doctor's monotonous aura. A small chuckle escaped the doctor's mouth much to Charlotte's annoyance. For someone to be as blunt as Charlotte was to him was something he had never seen before. Most of his crew were too scared of him to be straight up with him.

"We're waiting for the collectors. Don't get too comfortable." Charlotte said, snapping Law from his train of thought.

"Collectors?" There it was again. His strange desire to understand how the bounty hunter society works.

"Yes. They're like the middle men. They trade you to the marines on my behalf."

After that, Law became quiet much to Charlotte's happiness. He was probably taking in the information, not that Charlotte cared. Her mind was too preoccupied at the moment anyway. It was rare, this situation. Usually her collectors were never late making her time with her captives very minimal. Charlotte moved fast. After she capture a prey, she'll immediately drop them off with a collector on the same day or the following depending on the time of day. A bounty hunter is only allowed one time slot with a collector a day, otherwise people would get suspicious. Which brought on the problem that her allotted time slot was almost over.

_Where are they?_

"You're wanted too, aren't you, Miss?" Law asked, ignoring the indirect order Charlotte had given him to call her by name. Instead, the cunning pirate watched the girl's body language. He was pleased when Charlotte's muscled stiffened slightly at his words.

Charlotte glanced at her watch before releasing a sigh. There was only ten minutes left before she'd have to wait another day. She glanced at the thin male next to her, debating if she should wait another day. No, he was already annoying her and it was still dawn. Deciding to try her luck, Charlotte brought out a mini den den mushi followed by a white den den mushi to block any interceptors. Dialing the number engraved into her memory.

The dialtone continued on for what seemed like an eternity - Charlotte was even contemplating on hanging up - when the call connected. Sounds bombarded the quiet alleyway, reverberating off the walls as soon as the call connected. At first it was hard to distinguish between the arrays of sounds, but as the call lengthened, Charlotte felt her face drain of all color. However, she didn't hang up. All she could do was stare at the crying face of her den den mushi as it mimics the popping sounds of exploding organs, crackling sounds of bone breaking and splintering sounds of wood caving.

It wasn't that Charlotte was new to the noises, no, if she was, she would have had the bliss of not knowing what those sounds entailed. No, it was the fact that these sounds were originating from the call made to her collectors. Collectors were supposed to be masters of hiding and disguises. The only way for them to be safe in this line of business was to not be seen or known. Even Charlotte didn't know who they were; every meeting, they wore a different face. A face that she was sure was different by the time they dropped off the pirate by the government's doorstep. Even the government had issues shadowing Collectors to find hunters. So who was this person at their hideout?.

Then it became awfully quiet. Even the screams that were crying bloody murder and threatening to break human hearing decibels were suddenly gone as if they never existed in the first place. It was eerily silence that had develop. One that only builds suspense as it grew longer until it feels as though it'll break in half under its own weight..

"**Hello there." **Came a dark voice breaking the suspenseful silence.

Charlotte's platinum eyes flashed at the voice.

A gush of wind rush past the two wrapping the world around them in silence. It took Law a few moments of silence to realize that the call had ended with the gush of wind. Charlotte had destroyed the phone attachment on her den den mushi, effectively ending the call she was unable to hang up on earlier. There was something wrong with Charlotte, the air around her had warped, warped into something Law couldn't quite place.

"They're not coming." Charlotte shrugged, not directly at anyone as she turned around to leave, an innocent smile on her face. The previous aura already gone as if it never existed. Noticing the stillness of her unusually cooperate pirate, Charlotte pulled on the string, urging him forward. It seemed to do the trick as the older man started to walk after her.

"Where are you taking me?" Law asked after Charlotte had attempted to get the taller man on the roof. Using roofs as a walkway was something Law, needless to say, was not accustomed to.

"To my place." Charlotte answered without missing a beat. "The collectors here are dead. We'll need to relocate to the next island if I intend to stay in business. Which I do."

Jumping through the window of her hotel suite located on the fiftieth floor, Charlotte tied the rope to a bedpost. "Stay here." She ordered much to the other's annoyance. Ignoring the threatening glare on her back, Charlotte made quick work, throwing her outfits into a duffel bag alongside with some hygiene utensils, weaponry, beris and lastly the stack of wanted posters. Zipping up the red and black bag, she threw it over her back and untied Law from her bed. "Let's go."

"What about these?" Law asked, looking at the new flooring that Charlotte had unintentionally made. It was the crossed out wanted posters of her past victims. There wear and tear of each poster differ greatly telling Law the length Charlotte had been in business for. These were probably all the ones Charlotte had managed to capture in all her time in the bounty trade business. They were her history as a bounty hunter.

Charlotte's eyes dropped towards the scattered papers. They really were all she had to her name. It was her history; the trophies that marked her success. They were everything she had accomplished thus far. She couldn't leave them. Placing the stack of posters into her bag, Charlotte called back from the doorway, "I'm going to be borrowing your ship to move us to the next island."

"That's _my _ship filled with _my _crew. You can't just go use it as you wish." Law announced, stalking towards her. The rope grew taut as he stood inside her personal space, glaring down at her like she was suddenly a dwarf. The edge in his voice was surprisingly sharp. He was threatening _her._

"I would remind you to think of your position before you threaten me next time." Charlotte said, glaring down at the fallen pirate writhing on the ground. Law's heart strangled in Charlotte's palm. "Now, I _will_ use _you _and everything _you _have as _I_ please until I hand you over to the collectors." She released her hold, spinning on her heels and continued towards the awfully yellow ship ignoring the pants of the man being dragged behind her.

Setting foot on the pirate's ship, Charlotte expected to be faced with hostility which she was. But the strange thing was, no one made any attempt to attack her. Sure, they all radiated the hatred and killing intent she had expected them to, but no one paid her any attention. The only thing that gave away that they had noticed her on the ship was the slight glares she'd receive every once and a while.

_This ship sure is as strange as their captain._ Charlotte noted as she continued through the inners of the submarine.

"Who's the navigator on this ship?" Charlotte hollered.

No one moved, no one as much as flinch as she made her presence more known.

"I asked, 'who is the navigator on this ship'!" Charlotte hollered again. "If you do not answer me then-"

"That'll be Bepo." Law announced from behind the girl, much to the surprise of his crew. "Threats and fear will get you no where, Miss." Law advised however his tone of voice revealed just how annoyed he was.

"I don't want to hear that from you." Muttered Charlotte as she stepped forward. She was well informed about the doctor's sadistic ways. "Which one of you is Bepo?"

"He's the bear." Law answered once again for the crew.

Said bear quickly scrambled forward. He stood before the girl, making the girl look much smaller than she already was, despite being of above average height of five feet eight. It was hard to deny the too realistic animalistic features the bear held with his black snout and lips and small round ears sitting on top of his head up close.

But she did.

"I see no bear." Charlotte stated, denying the fact being shoved in her face.

"The bear's right in front of you."

"He's not a bear." This cause all those around her to question her vision as she continues to adamantly refuse the reality of a bear on two legs living outside of the arctic.

"I'm sorry!" Bepo shouted, instantly dropping his head to stare at the ground.

"What are you apologizing for? You _are_ a bear!" A crewmember shouted, scolding the white ball of depressed fluff.

"I'm sorry!" The so-called bear repeated, depressed furthermore.

"What is this? A comedy act?" Charlotte shouted irritably. She leaned in, leering at the tall mammal. "You are the navigator of this ship, correct? Your log pose should have recorded the next island by now. Take us there."

The bear stared back at Charlotte, a hint of shadow on his white fluffy face. The bear wasn't too happy with her capturing and holding their captain hostage. And now that same huntress was telling him to move his captain's ship towards somewhere else... and his captain wasn't even as much as trying to stop her. His dark beady eyes darted to the tied up male standing behind the violet haired huntress in confusion. Was it really okay for Bepo to listen to Charlotte's order?

Law locked eye with his first mate and made a small nod towards the starboard side. Immediately, Bepo had his answer.

"Aye, Aye!" He announced happily.

Charlotte claimed an empty room furthest away from the rest of the crew which just so happens to be nearest to the Captain's quarters not that the quarters would be occupied anymore. "You'll be staying with me in this room." Charlotte announced, kicking the door of the room open.

Charlotte had expected the man behind her to radiate another dark aura with her command like he had been throughout the day, but instead he remained silent, even the aura around him seem weak in comparison to her earlier commands. It was probably due to the 'room' Charlotte had all so eagerly claimed hers.

It wasn't a room, per se. Law knew that from the start. He was the captain of this vessel after all. The so-called room that Charlotte had just declared to be her living quarters were none other than a large supply closet filled to the brim with miscellaneous supplies that no one really wanted to sort or see. There was even a moldy tuna sandwich sitting in the corner, filling the air with a rotten stank. It really wasn't a very desirable living quarters.

Law stood behind the lady almost half a head shorter than she was with intriguing eyes. Charlotte was someone who intrigued the man. Not only was her powers extremely curious, so was her battle abilities. Charlotte was quick to read the situation and her reflexes were very polished. Her attacks showed perfect control and precision; a skill that can only be perfected through long days of combats. And something told the always-calculating doctor that it wasn't daily training that brought her this far. There was something else. Something darker.

"What is this?!" Charlotte shrieked, throwing her hands in the air. Also, Charlotte, despite everything, performed at the age of an eight years old at times. A strange combination indeed for a bounty hunter living by herself.

Law watched, waiting for more of the childish outburst he'd expect to see. Ever since the incident with Bepo and her outright defiance of the bear's existence as a bear, Law knew that Charlotte wasn't as mature as she always carry herself to be. His thin brows quirked up as the lady before him gathered her light purple hair into a high ponytail and began to clean up the mess.

"There's an unoccupied room to the left of this one, if you would prefer that one." Law announced calmly. His dark eyes following the back of the women who continued to pick up items after items in her calloused hands.

"That's fine. I've already claimed this room mine." Charlotte responded. Her voice seemed aloft, almost as if distant as she continued to gather the random items in the room.

"Stubborn little brat." Law muttered just loud enough for her to hear. But instead of receiving another childish output, he received nothing. The adult didn't as much as flinch at his words. She just continued gathering things like she was before.

A few moments later, when Law had decided that the girl had really gotten absorbed into cleaning up the room, Law went back to his own room, a few doors down. He froze after, letting the door he'd kick open swing close again. His room was a mess! Books sprawled all over the place, fallen over from where they usually rested neatly on the shelf. Some of the pages were bent from how they laid on the wooden floor. Everything was a mess. Towels from the bathroom piled out from the side room, joining the pile of books on the ground. It look quite familiar, the way the ground was littered resembled Charlotte's room back at the hotel exactly.

Storming back down the hall, Law was pissed. Needless to say, he was already annoyed beyond control as his captor excessively continued to order him around. Not that he could do anything about that with her holding his heart hostage. Still, he was no one's puppet! He was the captain of this ship and he was going to give her a piece of his mind. Heart or no heart.

Or that's what he had planned, until he saw the massive pile of metal and other unknown items standing in his way. The pile of junk was positioned to the side of the door leading towards his captor's room. The pile stared back at him, alive almost, releasing a puff of disgusting rotten tuna smell with every breath. When had a sludge of decaying trash made its way on his submarine? No, how had it gone undetected until now?

The answer to his question came to him when the door beside him opened a purple blob of hair popped out from the crack. Charlotte glanced around the corner wearily, before shoving a small heap of items from the storage room towards the pile and quickly disappearing behind the door like the mess had nothing to do with her.

The shadow on Law's face deepened and a scowl appeared on his face. The breathing blob beneath him seem to twitch at the sight of death on the doctor's face before trying to shrink itself away from existence. It let out a sigh of relief as the Dark Doctor turned away from its pitiful existence and knocked on the door with his feet as his arms still being bounded to his side.

"Yes?" Charlotte asked, innocently, opening the door. Noticing the dark look staring back at her, her eyes immediately dropped towards the poor blob of rotting goods. The same dark glint was in her eyes as she blamed the thing she had somehow managed to create for the issue currently surrounding her.

"What is that?" Law asked, his voice flat.

"What's what?" Charlotte replied, tilting her head to the side innocently.

"That... blob... thing you've made." His grey eyes darted towards the sludge.

"Oh, what's that? I've never seen it before in my life."

"Don't lie to me! I just saw you add more junk into its body." Law practically shouted. He was so frustrated.

Charlotte's eyes darkened at the order for a split second before she innocently responded with, "Oh, so it seems like I do know Mr. SludgeHead. He was the resident that lived in the room before me if I'm not mistaken." Charlotte made her comment the end of the conversation. She opened the door further, sweeping one arm inwards as she did so.

Law followed the gesture, entering the surprisingly clean room. There wasn't even the faintest trace of it having been a supply closet. The shelves usually made to hold cleaning supplies now held her folded clothes while her larger outerwears hung from the backside of the door or under the right shelf. Underneath the left shelf was a row of drawers above a woven hammock where a small square black pillow, the list of wanted individuals, and the oversized red muffler rested. It seem like the scarf doubled as a large blanket.

"You'll be sleeping there." Charlotte announced, pointing to the bed she had somehow acquired sitting in the middle of the room.

"I _do_ have a room as I am quite sure you are aware." Law replied, hissing the last part.

"I have no intention of letting you out of my sight for the night." Charlotte responded. She ignored the mention of his room's current state as she went to bolt the door. "Sleep." She commanded.

She had expected Law to scowl at her command, but instead the male's lips curved into a smirk as he eyed the double bed taking up the majority of the room. "I didn't place you as the type to sleep with her captives, Miss." Law muttered, letting his hot breath bounce off the top of her head as she worked on loosening the ropes around his torso. Immediately, the doctor came to regret his words as the ropes tightened incredibly instead, crushing the air out of the male.

"Who said anything about sleeping together?" Charlotte scoffed angrily. Her glare did nothing to cover the innocent flush on her face.

"You _did_. There is only one bed and you were undoing the ropes -"

"I was only loosening them!" Charlotte interrupted quickly. Her voice jumping up slightly. "I'm sleeping in the hammock." She huffed.

This act only brought on two thoughts for the captured male. One, how cutely innocent the childish adult seem to be. Two, why was he, the captive, sleeping on the luxurious bed while Charlotte, the capturer, sleeps in a hammock?

"I prefer sleeping in a hammock." Charlotte explained, noticing the way Law's brow had quirked at her outburst. "I'm closing the light." She warned a few moments before the room went dark.

Charlotte was the first to wake up the following morning. Sliding off her makeshift bed, Charlotte noticed the unconscious prey. Law had kicked off half of the blanket, revealing his sleeping position and Jolly Roger boxers. He had a hand on his lean abs, pushing the black tee as up as the ropes binding him would allow it. His usually matted dark hair was now sticking out in random areas much like his legs. How the man had expected her to share a bed with him was beyond her. There was no space left on that bed not that she would have shared it with him anyway.

Charlotte glanced back and forth between the lightly snoring male and the door. Charlotte was hungry, but at the same time, she couldn't risk leaving the man unattended while she goes eat. But she couldn't go waking him up either. Then she'd have to deal with dragging him around everywhere. Also, he seems like he could use the sleep with those deep eye bags. Her stomach grumbled again, complaining for the lack of substance. She glanced back at the pirate, groaning audibly. This is why she always minimize time with her captives.

It was still early morning by the time Charlotte had settled down in one of the long tables of the galley. A plate of eggs and bacons sat before her with a cup of coffee. However, instead of devouring the morsels of food before her, Charlotte simply stared at the empty one-third of the plate. She had left the spot empty for a piece of bread to go with her coffee, but no matter how she looked, she couldn't find a single crumb of soft bready goodness. It was such a basic necessity and yet it wasn't anywhere in sight. Finally, releasing a sigh of defeat, Charlotte began her breadless breakfast, finishing it before the rest of the crew woke up.

The rest of the day went pretty well. Charlotte was beginning to become accustomed to the same metal hallways and the machine-like copies off people. Charlotte couldn't find any reason or need to identified the males that all wore the exact same outfit and they didn't seem to bother her. Well, they'd still glare at her but that's probably because she held their Captain captive.

Although as the day trekked on, those glares soon became less anger-filled and more worrisome. Some of the pirates even came up to her to ask about where their Captain was.

Said captain had yet to be seen all day. A not so rare fact considering his study habits, but normally his presence would be noticed through the activities he does. But it was lacking today. Today was quiet. There wasn't any strange screams from poor creatures being dissected or the uncomfortably stiff air that indicted that you've entered Law's quiet reading space. The usual things that marked his presence was nowhere to be seen.

Charlotte glanced out of the sealed porthole, looking out to the seas that she had been forbidden to enter. She was a cursed and forbidden to enter the great blue ever since she decided to eat the Gisu Gisu no mi. Since then, she was blessed with the great abilities to copy other Devil Fruit User's ability, but she was also cursed from travelling through the one thing she wanted to most - the sea. "It really is beautiful." Charlotte sighed at the multiple of colourful fishes swimming freely through the waters.

Her joy was short-lived as the tiny fishes quickly swam away, all of them at the same time. "Strange, do they usually do that?" Charlotte mumbled when a dark shadow loomed over her. She turned to greet the shadow, not noticing the fact that where were no longer a single sea life left in sight. The colorful array of fishes and sea life were gone. Nothing move, all was still. "Can I help you?" The Huntress questioned, leaning against the port as she stared up at the white round fuzzy ears of the giant mammal in an orange jumpsuit.

"Where's the Captain?" Bepo the bear asked. He was much, much taller than Charlotte, that was for sure. His head hung low, almost as low as he usually hangs when he's depressed, just to look at the girl.

"On the ship." Charlotte responded with a shrug. She was starting to get tired of the crew's needless questioning. "Where else could he be?" They were underwater afterall.

"Where on the ship?" Another voice continued.

Charlotte glanced around the large mammal, spotting an average size man with red hair. If memory served her right, which it usually does, he was one of the pirates that left the ship with Law and one of the pirates that tried to attack her. She had called him, "Capette," She clicked, "Does it look like I'm his baby sitter?" She reverted her attention back to the much larger male. "Hey, where do you hide your real ears?"

"What do you mean?" Bepo quested quietly. "They're right here." He pointed towards the two white bumps on the top of his head.

"No, you're _real_ ears. You know, human ones?" Charlotte continued. She still refuse to accept the fact that there could be a bear underwaters, away from the arctic.

"Bepo's a bear!" Shachi - whom Charlotte had renamed Capette - bursted, pointing at said bear.

"No, not possible."

"But he really is one! He has teeth and everything." Shachi continued, pulling on the bear's black lips to reveal his meat-tearing teeths.

"Nope, he has to be human."

"Why?"

"Because polar bears live in the arctic."

"I'm sorry!" Bepo sulked, his face covered by a dark looming force.

"Don't go impersonating a bear!" Charlotte scolded. Bepo apologized once more.

"He's not impersonating a bear! He _is_ a bear!" Shachi groaned. But he was cry reach blind ears. Charlotte had already left.

"Do you know where the Cap-"

"-No." Charlotte interrupted. She had just exited the galley, her self-made food rested on the plates she held in her hand, only to run into another crew member with the same question. She had thought today would be a great day, although she was aboard a pirate's ship, surrounded by the men who swore loyalty to the one she imprisoned, and surrounded by her one weakness - the sea. But she was free from having to spend more one-on-one time with her captive. Free from potentially developing a connection to her victim. The possibilities of her developing Stockholm Syndrome would be low. All she had to do was to stay away and not be reminded of the state of her recent catch.

But no. The ship she had to be on was full of loyal and caring pirates for their Captain. No matter where she goes, she was constantly bombarded by pirates asking for the whereabouts of their trusty Captain. The questions were starting to get on her nerves. Yes, sure, she was the one holding their beloved captain hostage, but that doesn't mean that she'll be with the man 24/7, knowing where he'd be at every moment. In all honesty, however, she knew where he was. She was his hunter afterall. She couldn't have him running away from her before she could trade him now, could she? But that doesn't mean she was obliged to answer them. Especially since they would just want to free the man.

Why couldn't they just go back to glaring at her. Then there would have been no contact between them at all. And that, she could deal with.

Charlotte nodded to the Mr. SludgeHead standing before her room before turning her attention to the storage unit. Kicking open the door supply closet she claimed as her room, she was met with a man scrunched up against the headboards of the bed with dark piercing eyes. His long arms were bounded behind him and his hands were nowhere to be seen under the giant beehive-like knots that bounded him to the headboard behind him. His yellow shirt looked well slept in and matched the look of his dark messy locks which only added to the darkness of his narrowed eyes. Ah, it appears that Law had awoken.

"I see that your prolonged sleep didn't do any wonders for those dark sleep deprivation circles you have going on." Charlotte said, walking into the room with ease, ignoring the deadly glare he was giving her. She dropped a plate on his lap to his surprise. "Dinner, you must be hungry." She explained, before leaning in to take a bite of the fish. "It's not poisoned." She swallowed hard, her eyes never leaving the dark one trying to bore holes in her. "Eat."

His eyes darkened at the command and Charlotte half-expected him to deny the food she had made him. Instead, he seemed compliant. "It's rather hard to do so without hands." He scoffed and pulled on the binds as if to make his point.

Charlotte glanced at the beehive-size knots engulfing his already large hands. If she were to untie it, then he'd be free to move around and may even potentially attack her. If she didn't, he wouldn't be able to eat... and he hadn't had anything all day... and she _did_ make him food. What to do? Another sigh slipped passed her lips. This was why she spent as minimal time with her preys as possible. It was just easier to do things with. "Here, but know if you do anything... remember I still have your heart."

Law didn't respond to her threat, instead he clenched and unclenched his stiff fingers, allowing them to move again after a day of stillness. His wrists were still bounded by seastone, but he was allowed movement as there was a good meter of chain in between the two cuffs. Feeling his fingers again, the male put on his black spotted fuzzy hat and reached towards the cooling meal.

Silence filled the room as the male ate. The only sounds that existed between the two were the sounds of cutlery scraping against plate and food being eaten.

"You have a really nice crew here." Charlotte started much to the male's surprise. Law watched as she avoided eye contact, choosing to look at the ceiling instead. "They were worried about you since they didn't see you at all today." She continued while thinking back to the day's event. No one had attacked her and they even stopped sending hate glare towards her long enough for them to ask about their boss. "They care for you unconditionally..." Charlotte let her voice trail with the thought.

"I'm going to bed." Charlotte said suddenly, turning away before Law could make sense of the look on her face. The only thing he got before she was out of his sight was that she seemed to be in pain. The sharp tug of ropes digging into Law's flesh brought him back from his thoughts. He was bounded again. "Good night."

Charlotte woke the next morning to an empty bed. Panic ran through her veins at the sight of her missing prey. Without him, she'd wouldn't be getting paid! Grabbing her giant red scarf, she draped the cloth over her bare shoulders before running out.

The first place the hunter went was the galley. To her it had been the most logical place to go to. Most people are hungry after they wake up, often going to the kitchen for their morning coffee or meal. She seem to be right about the fact that most people go to the galley the first thing in the morning as the place was flooded with terestorne. Males sat in every visible spot, all of them munching on the breakfast made by the ship's chef, or were. As soon as the double doors swung open, all eyes turned to see who would be joining them, and they were soon all turned into glares.

_Crap, I slept in. _Charlotte thought as she stood by the front doors in all of her sleepy goodness. She adorned only a small pair of silk shorts and a loosely hanging tank top which revealed more than it hid. Her giant red scarf was barely folded around her neck as the majority of the red cloth spooled down her back towards the ground, covering little of what she had worn to bed. Ignoring the glares she wrapped the rest of the scarf around herself while scanning the faces of the pirates for someone particular. There was no way she was going to lose her prey right from under her nose.

"If you're here for breakfast, I just served my last serving!" The Chef called from his spot behind the counter. Behind him was another mile high pile of food. "We're out of food." He repeated, folding his arms. The ladle stuck out from under his arm like a weapon.

Charlotte didn't respond. Instead she went back to searching through the pile of males, looking for the familiar white hat. The white hatted pirate was no where to be seen. "Where's Law?" Charlotte called, deciding to try her luck. Maybe, just maybe they'd answer her. Of course she wouldn't get an answer.

Deciding to skip breakfast, and her lose prey taking more priority than food. She went out on a hunt to find the man. She checked where she thought the male would be, trying the infirmary and his office as well as other places the Dark Doctor would be more inclined to staying. Then she check the areas she'd least expect him to be in, just in case he was trying to do reverse psychology on her. But there was still no Law.

"Dang it!" Charlotte hissed, slamming her fist on the door beside her. How could she have lost the one man she had to keep her eye on? Never before had she had such a failed attempt of catching someone. Sure, he was locked to the same parameters as she was seeing as they were underwater and they were both Devil Fruit users. She was not going to let her streak lose just like this. She was serious about bounty hunting. It was the one thing she did.

"...Come in" Came a shout from the metal door under her fist.

The violet haired maiden stared at the door suspiciously before slowly turning the wheel and opening the door. She had recognize the voice just now. It sounded very much like... "Law!" Charlotte shouted. Sure enough, the Captain of the Heart Pirates was standing right there in the navigation room with none other than the navigator, Bepo.

"How much longer before we reach the archipelago?" Charlotte quested, turning towards the white hairy "man". The map laid out before them were nothing more than a bunch of random motif and circles that Charlotte couldn't understand nor did she care much to.

The bear glance back at Charlotte, acknowledging her presence yet not answering her. His gaze swept back towards his Captain, then towards Charlotte and so forth, back and forth between the two.

"Answer me!" Charlotte shouted irritably. Or at least she tried to but it came out as more of a shriek as the metal vessel jerk to the side suddenly, causing the three to tumble across the room. Red light and an annoying blood curling beeping noise erupted in the small room, echoing off the now hateful metal walls that only amplified the ear rupturing noise.

"What's that noise?" Charlotte asked, rubbing her head as she sat upright.

"We're under attack." Law replied, calmly. However the look in his eye were anything but calm.

"But we're underwater!" Charlotte was pretty sure that the Heart Pirates were the only pirates insane enough to build a submarine to travel in, as intelligent as it seems.

"Sea Kings."

"No way, we were travelling in the Grand Line. For us to encounter Sea Kings. We'd have to enter the Calm Belt..." Charlotte snapped her head towards the ship's captain and sure enough, he was sprouting a subtle smile. They had planned this! They weren't going to the next island. That would explain Bepo's hesitation... and the lack of fishes in the sea. Somehow, Law had told his crew to sail into the Calm Belts from the beginning. No wonder they were so quick to oblige to her wishes. "You idiot! How do you plan to get out of The Belts after getting rid of me? There's are no currents for you to sail in."

"You forget, Miss Charlotte, this is a _submarine_." He announced as the sub shook again. "Prepare to surface!" Law announced to his crew who quickly went to work. "I hope you can fare well against Sea Kings." He smirked as eight large monstrosities surfaced with the ship.

"You arrogant... little..." Charlotte fumed, unable to form coherent thoughts as the monsters hollered.

Charlotte opened her small mouth, taking in a deep breath of air despite the quickly approaching neon pink tentacle. It was probably filled with poison judging from the way the pink liquid seem to bubble under each ring. "Room," Charlotte breathed, and the giant tentacle was immediately sliced into a thousand pieces. "They're poisonous." She noted as she ran up the Sea King's arm. Charlotte flipped into the air and brought her karambit down into the beast's eyes before kicking away and back flipping to the sub. "One down," Charlotte muttered as she turned around to face the remaining seven. "Seven more to go."

By the time Charlotte had gotten down to three remaining Sea Kings, half a day had gone by. She was exhausted. It didn't help her cause when more beasts had risen in place of their fallen comrades. And boy were they not pleased with what she had been doing.

"Damn it," Charlotte panted, leaning on her weapon. "Stop spawning!" She hollered as she threw the scythe like a boomerang. A dinosaur-fish head slipped off its long neck as the sharpened blade made a clean cut before swerving around. Slipping her finger through the finger ring, she let its spin slow before grabbing the handle. Charlotte could feel herself fall backwards with its movement. Gritting her teeth at the impact, Charlotte felt like her arm was being ripped off as she planted her feet firmly against the ground, determined not to fall to her own attack.

Another cry erupted from the herd as another beheaded Sea King fell back into the sea. Charlotte had expected to be attacked by another Sea King, but the attack never came. Instead, a shout from someone she had forgotten came, "Bepo!" Law called.

Bepo, the ship's navigator, stood before the still chained Supernova, kicking a Sea King in the face. He wasn't the only one who had gotten on board to fight against the oversized sea creatures. Shachi and Penguin were also on board, defending the ship from further damages. Charlotte was no longer the sole defender against the strange combination of a monster.

"Captain!" Shachi warned as he saw the huntress leap towards his faved captain. But it was too late, the assassin had slipped her sickle into the hold of the ropes binding Law and was now pulling him away from Bepo and the Cow-Fish.

Charlotte made haste, finding strength when she had none. Her pride as a hunter wouldn't allow her prey to fall hands to another beast. She was the one with the perfect track record and as much as she may say she doesn't care for it, losing her perfect streak to a Sea King was just plain pathetic! Not to mention, the millions of beris she could feel slip from her pocket like crumbs from bread if that was to happen. She was not going going to let that happen. Not in a million chance! She rather use collectors _and _kill Law than to have him kill by someone... or something else.

"Here, but I'm not undoing the cuffs." Charlotte told as she sliced the rope bounding Law's arms to his chest down. The dark sea stone cuff remain holding his arms a feet apart. "I'm can no longer guarantee your safety." She explained, her pride refusing to allow a defenseless individual in her hands die.

Law glanced at the uncharacteristically noble hunter as she faced the monsters without another word. The ropes that had been slowly crushing the air out of him now pooled around him like harmless twine.

The assassin stood, barely able to keep herself upright in her fading purple orb. Her erratic breathing was obvious with the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders. Any more and she would be faint from lack of energy, leaving her prey to the Sea Kings. Not that she already wasn't quite open. With her current state, it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge. In addition, she had left her back wide open to him - her prey. The one she just released from captivity. The one who had to suffer from her constant orders. The one with the most motive to kill _her. _

Bepo was standing right there with his nodachi in the crook of his arm. He may still be cuffed with sea stone, but he was also a skilled swordsman. It wouldn't even take a second for his to grab his large kanata, unsheathe it and land a perfect cut in the girl. Law wasn't nothing without his Devil Fruit powers, he was a feared swordsman and she was not without his grasp.

Even though he should have killed the hunter who forced him to listen to everything her every will like a tiny rodent incapable of doing anything by himself, he didn't. Instead, he found himself staring at the tall lady who so stupidly - or bravely - strolled onto his ship, challenged him, bested him with _his _ability, and had the gulls to order him around. A lot. Despite all of these moves that normally and still does tick off the doctor, he was intrigued by the girl who could so honestly leave herself open to the one individual with the most motive to kill her. Not only had she done this once, she had done this many times in the last two days: earlier with Bepo, again when clearing the supply close, once more the night prior and now. She was not your average day lady, she was something else. Something that Law wouldn't mind playing with before getting rid of, oh, so easily.

Consciously or not, Charlotte had left her back completely open to the man. Her eyes focused selectively on the godforsaken chimeras rising from a sea of the world's reddest wine filled with Sea King-shaped ice floaties. It reminded the doctor of when she had started cleaning the supply closet. She had the same eyes as then; the same determination that causes her to block out the world and focus only on the task at hand. As much as her determination had struck respect from the adult, but it had left her just as open to any ministrations from outside that narrowed focus.

The purple orb flashed before disappearing, retracting back into Charlotte. Charlotte stood up straight, her shoulders fell into a steady rhythm, and she let her determined eyes hide behind closed lids. She forced her body to relax despite the ominous aura that pulled at every fibre of her being to fight. The result from closing her eyes did nothing but cause the killer stench to float around her, coiling itself around her until it clawed at her throat, desiring her fear and panic. It was futile, even if it was to claw until she bleed, Charlotte would not grant it its desire. Charlotte continued with her meditation, commanding her body to behave.

Charlotte was going to win this battle, if not, she'll lose her everything that made her who she is. Charlotte was going to win, even if she had no more strength left. If she was out of stamina then she'll end this without moving. She has done it before and she will do it again! She'll end from the spot where her boots met the wooden deck!

_How peculiar._ Law thought, grinning to himself. The scene before him was changing yet again. The air around the hunter had changed. The task she had decided to focus on was obvious. This turnaround had happened after Bepo had blocked the attack meant for him. _To take on the responsibility of the safety of those you hold captive. _

"Bepo," Law called for his first mate's attention.

A wet substance wrapped around her, causing her legs to feel like groundless stubs at the mercy of the liquid's will. It wasn't until the substance begin to cause a familiar faint feeling that she realize what it was.

_Water?_ She thought as she leaped into the air, avoiding another attack. Her eyes followed the orbs of translucent liquid that bounce from the attack.

Her toes touched broke the thin layer of water first. Her violet hair whipped around as she noticed the deck empty. Had she failed to notice the crew jumping ship after she released their captain? But would a crew actually abandon the ship that has carried them for years? But then again it was sinking...wait, wasn't this a submarine?

"How long do you intend to stand there, Miss?" Law asked, a sadistic smirk on his face. It didn't seem like he cared whether or not she entered the hatch from which he so leisurely stood, half leaning on the open hatch with his crossed around his chest. If he didn't, he would gladly watch the result of the once one-sided fight that now holds an unknown ending, and if she did, well he'll just as enjoy watching her deal with his crew. The squabble she had with Bepo wasn't entirely boring. Charlotte had proven to be one of his more interesting specimens, even if she proves to be out of his grasp... for now at least.

She glanced back to where she once stood. The place she pledge to finish the monsters. She had moved. "Where are we going?" Charlotte replied, her eyes narrowing on the top half of the man seeing as that's the only portion of him she could see. He had probably ordered for the submarine to descend, resulting in the water levels rising and surprising her. Charlotte knew she couldn't stand in water much longer before she starts feeling its full effect, but could she really trust the man who told his crew to sail into the Calm Belts just to get rid of her enough to be lock under a hatch with?

"Back to the Grand Line. Wasn't there an island you want to get to?"

Her eyes narrowed. Why was Law offering her a way to Sabaody Archipelago now? Especially knowing that she'll be handing him over to the authorities as soon as they land. What was the doctor planning? She already made the mistake once to think that he was cooperative, and look where that got her. She spent a good half day fighting the giant mutants of fish. What exactly was his plan?

Hearing the cries of new Sea Kings rising from the sea, spilling scarlet drops of sea water all over the place, Charlotte made her decision. She'll gamble with the Heart Pirates, and if anything goes wrong... she still had Law's heart.


End file.
